Mother's Restaurant, New Orleans

When I arrived at Mother's Restaurant for lunch during my trip to New Orleans, I was so amazed how long the line was.

Unbelievable, isn't it?

But then, I actually shouldn't be too surprised to see the long line because Mother's Restaurant has been known for the world's best baked ham restaurant and established since 1938. It was founded by Simon A. Landry. During and after the World War II, Mother's became a local hang-out for “the few and the proud” – the U.S. Marine Corps. It's not only the baked ham and serving authentic New Orleans home cooking that made this place famous but also the New Orleans dishes like Jambalaya (rice cooked with chicken, homemade andouille sausage, vegetables, herbs and seasonings), Gumbo, and Shrimp Creole line-up next to the Po’ Boys such as the Ferdi Special (meaty sandwich) and the Debris po-boy (craved roast beef).

Inside the restaurant.

This is how the customers order the food. 

Then, the waitress will bring the food directly to the table.

So many pictures hanging on the walls.

I looked at people's tables for what they were having for their lunch.

Another section of Mother's Restaurant that has a bar.

Green Salad - USD 6.00

All salads are prepared with vine ripened tomatoes, iceberg and romaine lettuce, fresh spinach, bell pepper, red onion and cucumber. served with choice of homemade house, blue cheese, thousand island or ranch dressing.

Fish Palate - USD 16.50

It comes with a choice of two sides - cabbage, turnip greens, potato salad, french fries, grits with butter or red beans & rice.

 Soft Shell Crab Platter (2 crabs) - USD 25.50

with lemon butter sauce.

Seafood Platter - USD 22.50

This was what I ordered for my lunch. 

Po' Boys Soft Shell Crab - USD 17.50

All meat po' boys dressed with shredded cabbage, sliced pickle, mayo, creole and yellow mustard.

My friend suggested me to try this delicious po' boys. First, I had no clue at all what po' boys was until it came on  the plate. By the way, I found out the history of the name po' boys came from. It refers to the sandwiches made from hot gravy and scraps of roast beef ladled onto French bread and sold to "poor boys" from the back doors of restaurants.

Look the soft shell crab. It's really soft and delicious!

 The sign on the sliding door got my attention.

Close up look. Interesting, isn't it? As we all know, tipping in America is a must but at Mother's Restaurant, there's NO tipping at all!

Pecan pie - USD 5.25

Cranberry juice - USD 2.75

My friends and I enjoyed our lunch at Mother's!

Location:
Mother's Restaurant
401 Poydras St,
New Orleans, LA 70130
USA
Phone: (504) 523-9656

Opening hours: Mon - Sun, from 7 am - 10 pm

Disclaimer: The review and opinion expressed here are purely according to my personal taste. There's a possibility that the taste of the food might change later on, which could affect the review and opinion here. I also affirm that no monetary or non-monetary compensation has been received from this restaurant for writing this review.

E&O (Eastern & Oriental) Jakarta

I felt privileged when I received an invitation to dine at E&O (Eastern & Oriental). This new restaurant situated in Kawasan Mega Kuningan is a collaboration between chef Will Meyrick of Sarong and Mama San restaurants in Bali, and the creators of Loewy and Union. E&O serves Thai-Vietnamese cuisine with refreshing cocktails and a fine wine list that pair well with the food. The interior of this restaurant is elegant and romantic with the dimmed light and small candle on each table. The service was quite excellent. 

When my dining partner and I arrived at the E&O, we were greeted warmly by the marketing manager and her assistant. Then, we headed directly to the bar area to try the cocktail and mocktail.

Pineapple Coriander Margarita - Rp. 90.000

Silver Tequila, Homemade Lime Juice, Pineapple, Coriander Root.

Virgin Sling - Rp. 45.000 

Pineapple, Cloudy Apple Juice, Passionfruit, Almond Syrup, Soda.

From the bar, we moved to the dining area. The menu for that night's dining was already chosen and prepared by the marketing manager. She wanted us to try the specialty dishes. As a person who doesn't eat spicy food, most of the dishes were a bit spicy for my liking but believe it or not, I just couldn't resist to try and eat them.

Chicken Betel Leaf - Rp. 25.000/ piece.

with Coriander, Roasted Shallots, Capsicum and roasted Chili Relish.

This beautiful starter has a great combination of taste - sweet, salty, sour and spicy that kept me wanting more.

Chicken and Prawn in Egg Net - Rp. 65.000

with Peanuts, Lemongrass, Mint and Pickle Cucumber and Shallots Relish.

It's a decent appetizer but after eating the tasty Chicken Betel Leave, this chicken and Prawn in Egg Net tasted a bit bland.

Selection of Northern Thai Relishes and Crispy Tempura Vegetables - Rp. 125.000

It's quite interesting to learn that tempura can match nicely with these Thai dipping sauces "Nam Prik Ong" (chicken & tomato, the original Nam Prik Ong is using pork), "Nam Prik Goong" (dried shrimp, chili & lemon), and "Nam Prik Num" (aubergine & green chili).

While my dining partner and I were eating tempura, chef Will Meyrick greeted and had a little chat with us. It was so nice to catch up and hear about his latest activities. Chef Will Meyrick is so busy with his hectic schedule like working at his three restaurants, having a spot on the judging panel of Top Chef Indonesia and his TV show named "Street Food Chef" which first  aired on 24 August 2013 on TransTV,

Southern Hot and Sour Soup of Fish - Rp. 80.000 (Half)/ Rp. 140.000 (Regular)

with Kedondong (Ambarella) Leaves, Turmeric, Chillies, Lime Leaves and Coriander.

This soup is just an eye and mouth opener.  It looks so colorful served in small bowls. When I had the first spoonful of this soup, it was just like a unique explosion in my mouth. Very tangy, spicy and totally briny were the dominant flavors of this soup. 

Grilled Beef Salad - Rp. 90.000

with Green Mango, Shallots, Peanuts, Mint and Nam Jim Jaew. 

It might be a simple salad but everything blended so well. Although it was pretty spicy for me, I couldn't stop putting more and more on my plate.

Twice Cooked Beef Short Ribs - Rp. 220.000

with Sweet Fish Sauce, Cucumber and Nam Pla Prik.

This was the winner of the night! The tender caramelized ribs were amazing. They were quite cloying at the first bite, but after I dipped it to the Nam Pla Prik sauce and spice powder, the taste became perfect. 

'Choo Chee' of Crispy Barramundi - Rp. 170.000

with Chili and Thai Basil.

The fish, another scrumptious dish being served during that night, was cooked to crispy perfection. It was complemented by a red sweet creamy sauce.

My dining partner and I were actually already very full after consuming all the dishes, but we just couldn't help ourselves from sampling the two tempting and yummy desserts.

Cocoa Ganache with Peanut Butter Palm Sugar Ice Cream 

and Honeycomb Crumble - Rp. 50.000

I was impressed with this ice cream made with peanut butter. How come there's not more peanut butter ice cream out there?

Durian Pannacotta with White Sticky Rice - Rp. 50.000

As a durian lover, I really adored this dessert! This durian pannacotta was so smooth and creamy that it melted in my mouth.

All prices are subjected to government tax and service charge.

Current currency:

1 USD = Rp. 11.000

It was an absolutely wonderful dining experience at E&O. The dishes were creative and also daring in their choice of flavors. I know for sure I will be back again for the Durian Pannacotta :)

Location:
E & O Jakarta
Menara Rajawali, 1st Floor
Jl. Dr Ide Anak Agung Gde Agung LOT#5.1
Kawasan Mega Kuningan,
South Jakarta
Phone : 2902 3418

Staying at India House Hostel in New Orleans

I stayed at India House Hostel during my trip in New Orleans. It's my first experience to stay in a hostel. I would say that it's not bad and scary like what I thought, in fact, I liked staying at this hostel and maybe someday I will try again to stay in a hostel. 

There is no curfew or lock-out period in this hostel. The kitchen, common rooms and all facilities including free WiFi are available 24 hours a day. Local pubs, restaurants and supermarkets are reachable within walking distance and it's only 7 minutes from the French Quarter by car. 

The chubby cute hostel cat is sleeping on the porch. 

The lobby.

India House hostel  has an affordable price for backpackers. It's only USD 20 per night per person for the 8 - 12 people per room.

Communal bathrooms and toilets.

 The open air kitchen. 

Breakfast is available from 9 am to 1 pm. 

Besides toast, bacon, hash-brown, cereal, milk and orange juice, there are also:

Scrambled eggs with basil.

Pancake.

Sausages.

Location:
India House Hostel
124 S Lopez St.
New Orleans, LA 70119
USA
Tel: (504) 821-1904

Hurricane Cocktail at Pat O'Brien's, New Orleans

During my visit to New Orleans, I tried the famous drink "Hurricane cocktail" at Pat O'Brien's bar. This bar established in the 1930s and located in the French Quarter, New Orleans.

My friend told me a little bit about the history of Hurricane cocktail. It is pretty interesting to know that due to difficulties importing Scotch during World War II, there were a lot supply of Rum coming  into the Port of New Orleans from the Caribbean and bar owners were force to buy large amounts of rum. In 1940s, Mr. O'Brien began experimenting with the surplus rum and invented the Hurricane cocktail.

There are several bars - outdoor and indoor.

Flaming fountain in the courtyard.

 Indoor bar.

Pat O'Brien's Hurricane - USD 8.00

It's made with 4 oz. of Pat O'Brien's Hurricane Rum blended with 4 oz. of Pat O'Brien's Hurricane Mix. It tasted refreshing, pretty sweet with fruity flavor but I could hardly taste the rum. Usually, it is served in a tall glass shaped like hurricane lamp. Voted Best Specialty Drink in New Orleans!

A country song from Alan Jackson that reminds me to this Hurricane Cocktail:


Location:
Pat O'Brien's
718 St Peter St.
New Orleans, LA 70116
USA
Tel: (504) 525-4823

Disclaimer: The review and opinion expressed here are purely according to my personal taste. There's a possibility that the taste of the food might change later on, which could affect the review and opinion here. I also affirm that no monetary or non-monetary compensation has been received from this bar for writing this review.